As the refrigeration industry moves toward the use of refrigerants less harmful to the environment, one maker of infrared refrigerant gas detectors continues to expand the list of refrigerant gases that can be detected and monitored by its equipment.

Bacharach has upgraded its MGS-250 infrared refrigerant gas detector product, making it capable of detecting R514A and R452B. R514A is a refrigerant with a GWP below 2. It is targeted as a replacement for R123 in centrifugal chiller applications. It is a blend of HFO 1336mzz(Z) (74.7 percent) with trans-1,2-dichloroethene (25.3%), a gas not previously used in refrigerants. R452B is designed as a lower GWP replacement for R410A in air-conditioning applications. It has a GWP of 676, which is around 65 percent less than that of R410A. It is an HFO/HFC blend of R32 (67 percent), R1234yf (26 percent) and R125 (7 percent).

The gas detector’s non-dispersive infrared sensor technology offers benefits when detecting either of these two gases, according to Bacharach. It eliminates cross-interference from other gases and cross-interference from changes in temperature and humidity.